- Chapter 6 - Time to Actually Carry the Banner, Not Just Sing About It -
Warnings: None? Slight teasing
Third Person POV
"Hey!" Jack shouts from his penthouse. "Specs! Racer! Henry! Albert! Elmer! Get a move on!" He chuckles. "Them papes don't sell themselves!"
Race grins, fixing his suspenders as he walks into the bunk room. "Hey, Albert! Elmer! Specs! You heard Jack!" He pushes Boots off of his bunk. "Get a move on!"
Boot scowls at Race from the floor, but gets up.
Albert stands next to Race, buttoning his shirt. "I was having the most beautiful dream," he informs Race. "My lips are still tingling!"
Romeo shoots Finch a smirk.
Finch was already smirking as he stared at Albert.
"Ooh," Race shoves Albert lightly. "A pretty girl?" He asks. "Or boy?" He lowers his voice.
Albert's eyes were heart eyes. "A leg of lamb." He answers, his voice soft and his cheeks dusted with blush.
Race leans over. "If you don't confess to Finch by the end of tomorrow, I will smack you." He mutters in his ear.
Albert rolls his eyes, taking the cigar out of Race's mouth.
"Hey!" Race exclaims. "That's my cigar!" He tries to grab it.
Albert holds the cigar above his head. "You'll steal another." He responds with a cheeky smirk.
Race glares at him, going to smack him when Specs put his arm around his shoulder, stopping him.
"Hey look!" Specs exclaims, grinning. "It's bath time at the zoo!" He snickers.
Race snickers with him.
Albert was more content with staring at Race's cigar that he twirls around in his hand, leaning against the wall.
Henry walks into the room with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He rolls his eyes at them. "I thought that I'd surprise my mother!" He grins.
Tommy boy looks over at him, his eyes widening and his face turning bright red when he sees him.
He quickly runs over to Ike, who hugs him.
Ike chuckles as Tommy boy digs his head into his chest, trying to look away from Henry and make the embarrassment disappear.
"If you can find her." Albert comments, not knowing exactly what he was saying.
Henry smirks at Ike and Tommy boy, before Albert's words dawned on him.
"Who asked you?!" Most of the Newsies in the room exclaim.
Certain Newsies smack Albert with their hats.
Albert holds his head, cringing a bit in pain.
Race snatches the cigar back from him, placing it in his mouth.
Albert rolls his eyes, walking off. "I think I need a new selling spot." He starts. "Got any ideas?" Albert asks Race, walking next to him.
Spot the Newsie popped into Race's mind.
Race shakes himself out of it, turning to face Albert. "From bottle alley to the harbor," he grins. "There's easy pickings guaranteed."
"Oh, so we're singing this morning." Knobs mutters as he walks past them.
Race laughs a bit.
Finch stands next to him and Albert. "Try any banker, bum, or barber. They almost all knows how to read!" He jokes.
Race and Albert laugh, shoving him playfully.
Jack walks down the stairs, buttoning his shirt. "It's a crooked game we're playing, one we'll never lose."
"We're all singing." Knobs mutters, fixing his hair. "Do I have to sing?" He turns to Mush.
Mush shakes his head. "We love it if you did, cause your voice is amazing, but you don't have to." He answers.
"Thanks." Knobs responds, singing and riffing slightly as walks off.
Mush smiles amusedly as he watches him. And he says he's a bad singer.
"Long as suckers don't mind paying," Jack continues. "Just to get bad news!"
Newsies: Ain't it a fine life!
Carrying the banner through it all
A mighty fine life!
Carrying the banner tough and tall
JoJo looks at Race, who stood next to him. "Morning, Racer." He greets with a soft smile.
"Morning, Jo." Race responds, smiling back.
They'd join the singing back in a minute.
When that bell rings
We goes where we wishes
"Selling in Brooklyn again?" JoJo asks, fixing his suspenders.
Race nods. "Tumbler requested that I visit him, I couldn't say no to his darn adorable puppy eyes." He tells JoJo.
JoJo chuckles.
We's as free as fishes
Sure beats washing dishes
What a fine life
Carrying the banner home-free all!
Race found Lucky with Specs when he got outside.
Lucky grins at him. "Race!" He exclaims.
Specs chuckles.
Race walks over to them. "Morning, Luck." He looks up at Specs. "Morning, Specs."
Specs smiles.
Lucky waves up at him. "Hi!" He exclaims.
Race chuckles.
His attention was brought off of Lucky and Specs and to Romeo.
"Well, hello, hello, hello, beautiful." Romeo smirks at a girl who had been walking when he blocked her path.
The girl looks him up and down, not impressed.
Race looks at Specs, who had rolled his eyes and looked away, his arms crossed.
Jack pushes Romeo out of the way so he could flirt with the girl.
Race walks over to Romeo. "Specs is jealous." He whispers in the boy's ear.
Romeo smirks. "I'll go fix that." He whispers back, walking away.
Race laughs.
"Hey, Crutchie!" Finch exclaims, standing next to him. "What's your leg say? Gonna rain?" He asks, looking curious.
Race chuckles.
There were some boys who thought Crutchie's on point ability to tell the weather was magic.
Race didn't know how to explain it, but he knew it wasn't magic.
Crutchie was just really good at it.
Course, he'd never tell Crutchie that it wasn't magic. It made him feel special and Race wasn't going to change that.
He was, however, going to tease him a little bit.
Crutchie shakes his leg a bit, pretending to think. "Uhh- no rain..." he stops, before grinning. "Partially cloudy, clear by evening!"
Finch chuckles, sharing a look with Mush. "They outta bottle this guy!" He exclaims.
Crutchie blushes a bit. "It's nothing-"
Mush nods in agreement with Finch.
"Yeah, and the limp sells fifty papes a week," Race starts, shooting Crutchie a playful smile. "All by itself." He teases.
"And the smile is another fifty." Knobs mutters, sitting down with his notebook.
Crutchie smiles playfully. "I don't need the limp to sell papes!" He exclaims, grinning. "I got personality!"
"The personality of an Angel." Knobs mutters, writing in his notebook.
Albert and Race share chuckles, looking down at Knobs.
Crutchie: It takes a smile that spreads like butter
The kind that turns a lady's head
Finch chuckles softly, ruffling Crutchie's hair.
Race pulls Buttons in the middle of him, Albert, and Finch. "It takes an orphan with a stutter." He continues, playfully holding Buttons' chin.
Buttons pouts jokingly, causing Race to smile.
Finch covers Buttons' eyes. "Who's also blind!" He sings, grinning.
"And mute!" Albert covers his eyes.
"And dead!" Elmer pretends to smack Buttons' head.
The four boys laugh together, exchanging hand signs.
Crutchie laughs.
Newsies: Summer stinks and winter's freezing
When you works outdoors
Start out sweatin
End up sneezin'
In between it pours!
Race watches Henry pretend to dumb water on Tommy boy, who laughs.
He smiles.
Race ends up getting dragged into doing some tricks with other boys.
Still it's a fine life
Carrying the banner with me chums
(Still it's a fine life carrying the banner with me chums)
Race does an aerial type flip, earning some applause from his brothers.
He jokingly bows, laughing with them.
A bunch of big shots
Tossin' out a freebie to the bums
(A bunch o' big shots tossin' out a freebie)
Finch stops all of them. "Hey! What's the hold up?
Waiting makes me antsy!
I likes livin' chancey!"
Newsies: Harlem to Delancey!
Race grins. He loved doing this.
What a fine life!
Carrying the banner through the-
They were stopped by the Nuns, who were passing out bread and coffee to them.
Nuns: Blessed children
Though you wander lost and depraved
Jesus loves you
You shall be saved
Race smiles at one of the Nuns thankfully.
She smiles back.
"Thanks for the grub, Sister!" Elmer exclaims, grinning brightly.
"Elmer," the eldest Nun starts. "When are we going to see you inside the Church?" She asks, an eyebrow raised.
"I don't know, Sister!" Elmer's accent slipped out slightly. "It's bound to rain sooner or later!" He jokes.
The Nun shoots him a disapproving look.
"Someone's going to get in trouble for that later." Henry comments, laughing softly.
Elmer laughs. "Big time." He responds, eating his bread.
Race laughs.
Race: Curdled
(Elmer: Just give me half a cup)
A mom comes out; looking for her son.
Race: Coffee
(Henry: Somethin' to wake me up)
Patrick's mother: Patrick, darling
Race noticed Albert hiding Finch.
He shrugs it off, knowing he had a reason.
Race: Concrete donuts
(Romeo: I gotta find an angle)
Patrick's mother: Since you left me, I am undone
Race: Sprinkled with mold
(Tommy boy: It's gettin' bad out there)
Henry pats Tommy boy's back gently.
Race: Homemade
(Mush: Papers is all I got)
Patrick's mother: Mother loves you
(Specs: It's 88 degrees)
Race: Biscuits
(JoJo: Jack says to change my spot)
Race smiles softly. JoJo had a horrible spot, so it was about time Jack told him that he should find a new one.
Albert: Wish I could catch a breeze
Race: Just two
(Finch: Maybe it's worth a shot)
Race: Years old
(Buttons: All I can catch is fleas)
Patrick's mother: God save my son!
Race's attention was pulled off of the Nuns by Jack.
Jack: If I hate the headline
I'll make up a headline
Race jumps up to hand the cups back to the Nuns, the other boys doing the same.
Jack, Crutchie: And I'll say anything I have'ta
Jack, Crutchie, Race, Romeo: 'Cause at two for a penny if I take too many
Weasel just makes me eat 'em afta'!
(A/N, small pet peeve in the Newsies fandom. It tells you, right there, how much papes are (two per penny and they sell them one per penny). Please use that info lol)
The other boys join their singing.
Newsies: Got a feelin' bout the headline!
(I do too, so it must be true)
I smells me a headline!
Papes are gonna sell like we was givin' them away!
(What a switch! Soon we'll all be rich)
Betcha dinner it's a doozy
'Bout a pistol-packin' floozy
(Don't know any better way to make a newsie's day)
Who knows how to make a Newsie's day!
You wanna move the next edition,
Give us an earthquake or a war!
Race playfully pretends to fight Albert, both of them laughing.
Elmer: How 'bout a crooked politician?
Race stares at him.
Newsies: Ya nitwit, that ain't news no more!
Elmer laughs.
Newsies: Uptown to Grand Central Station
Down to City Hall
We improves our circulation
Walking 'til we fall
Race watches Specs do a crazy impressive flip. (In which Stage (Author) doesn't know what to call it, so she says this lol.)
"I'm convinced none of us are human." Race heard Knobs mutter.
Race laughs.
Newsies: But we'll be out there
(Got a feelin' 'bout the headline, I smells me a headline)
Carrying the banner man to man!
(Papes are gonna sell like we was givin' them away
Betcha dinner it's a doozy)
We're always out there
('Bout a pistol-packin' floozy)
Soakin' every sucker that we can
(Don't know any better way to make a Newsie's day!)
See the headline:
(I was stakin' out the circus)
Newsies on a mission!
(And then someone said that Coney's really hot)
Kill the competition
(But when I got there)
Sell the next edition
(There was Spot with all his cronies)
We'll be out there
(Heck, I'm gonna take what little dough I got and play the ponies)
Carrying the banner!
See us out there, carrying the banner!
(We at least deserves a headline for the hours that they work us)
Always out there, carrying the banner!
(Jeez, I bet if I just stayed a little longer at the circus)
Race stops when he realizes they were at the circulation gate.
Finch points at the headline board. "Hey look! They're putting up the headline!" He exclaims.
Race looks at the board, the man who was writing blocking his vision.
"I hope it's real bloody with a nice, clear picture!" Specs exclaims eagerly.
Knobs sticks his tongue out in disgust.
"Yeah!" The other Newsies exclaim.
Knobs rolls his eyes.
They watch as the man writes the headline, before they all groan.
"Trolly Strike Enters 3rd Week."
"The trolley strike?" Elmer questions, his smile faltering. "Not again!" He groans.
"They're killing us with that snoozer!" Albert complains, waving his hand at the board as if to make it disappear.
Finch nods his head in agreement.
"Morning, Newsies." Oscar Delancey greets as he and his brother walk over to them.
"Morning, Oscar." The Newsies chorus, a bit defeated.
"Don't be like that." Morris tells them, frowning slightly. "The headline will get better soon."
"Weren't you just forced to beat up trolley workers?" JoJo asks, raising an eyebrow.
The Delanceys don't respond, frowning.
"Be nice." Elmer tells him, shoving him gently.
"Sorry." JoJo whispers, shooting the Delanceys a small smile.
Oscar unlocks the gate, opening the door.
"If it ain't the youngest Delancey." Race starts with a smirk as he stands in front of Oscar, his hands on his hips.
Oscar smirks. "If it ain't the second youngest Newsie." He comments, crossing his arms.
Race rolls his eyes. "You're annoying." He mutters, shoving him slightly.
Oscar laughs, shoving him back. "So are you." He responds.
Race rolls his eyes.
Newsies: We'll all be out there
Carrying the banner man to man!
We're always out there
Soakin' every sucker that we can!
Here's the headline:
Newsies on a mission!
Kill the competition!
Sell the next edition!
We'll be out there
Carrying the banner!
See us out there
Carrying the banner!
Always out there
Carrying the banner!
Ahh, ahh, ahh, go!
Race grins as he poses, breathing heavily.
"Papes for the Newsies!" Weasel shouts, banging on the bars on his window.
Race snaps out of it, flinching slightly.
Welp, it's time to actually go Carry the Banner, not just sing about it.
2384 Words
I shouldn't be debating post more chapters lol.